On the 3rd of May the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission agreed that in future all public sector websites and mobile apps should be made accessible.

The text still requires approval by the Council and the Parliament before coming into force. Assuming approval, members states will have 21 months to include the directive in their national legislation.

In summary the Directive requires:

• New public sector websites and apps will have to be accessible. Current websites will have to be updated.
• Older content will need to be made available, in accessible format, on demand.
• Closed captioning or another accessible alternative will need to be provided on government videos. In the case of live streaming the videos need to be made accessible within 14 days of broadcast.
• Online payment services will have to be accessible, for example payment of fines or taxes.
• There will need to be a clear statement outlining the parts of pubic sector websites that are not accessible.

Further information can be found a on the European Commission website.

Take my Web Accessibility Online Training Course - WCAG 2.1 Compliance

Learn to design and manage WCAG compliant, accessible websites with my online course

You will learn both the techniques of accessible website design and an entire ‘framework for thinking about the subject’. It will equip you with the skills to understand, identify and fix issues any accessibility issues you come across. Watch the free videos to get a taste of what is on the course.